Lubricating system



e. W. DUNHAM.

LUBRICATING SYSTEM. APPLICAIION FILED JAN.8, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET l- Patented Dec 13, 1921.

.G. W. DUNHAM.

LUBRICATING SYSTEM. APPLICAIION FILED JAN. 8, 1919- 1,399,943. PatentedDec.13, 1921.

UNITED ES PATENT OFFICE. I

GEORGE W. DUNHAM, OF NEW YORK, Y., ASSIGN'OR TO THE MILIT'OR CORPORATIONOF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LUBRIOATING SYSTEM.

Application filed January 8, 1919. Serial No. 270,108.

York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Lubricating Systems, of which thefollowing is a full,

clear, and exact description, reference beinghad to the accompanylngdrawings.

This invention relates to oil collecting, restraining, and separatingmeans, especially suitable for use with gas engines, particularly thoseof motorcycles and other vehicles.

The general objects are to provide simple and reliable means forcollecting the lubricating oil; and (in the present embodiment) forrestraining itagainst flooding the crank case of the engine and leakingout as through the end crank shaft bearings when the engine is tilted,as when ascending or descending grades; and to providemeans foreffectually separating sediment from the oil and which means is notlikely to. become clogged, nor liable to get out of order; but i simple,durable, positive of action, and comparatively inexpensive.

Other and more specific ends in view are the production of a strong wellshaped oil pan, preferably formed of a single piece of sheet metal, forapplication to the bottom of the engine casing; to'incorporate,preferably in the casing, deflectors which extend from the endsof thecrank case inward until their inner ends are separated only acomparatively short distance from each other thereby to confine the oilwithin the oil pan when the engine .is tilted endwise materially; and toprovide an oil trap or separating means for incorporation in the 'oilcirculating system and'wherein a proper suction is maintained at alltimes so long. asthere is an appreciable amount of oil in the system,thereby insuring satisfactory lubrication.

To these several ends my invention may be defined as consisting of thecombinations of elements set forth in the claims annexed hereto andillustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a centrallongitudinal section through the crank --case of an internal combustionengine having my invention incorporated therein and Fig. 2 a somewhatenlarged transverse \section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

.The lower half of the crank Jase-the only portion of the enginestructuae which Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 13, 1921.

it is necessary to show to fully illustrate my inventionis designated 1,and within the bottom thereof are situated deflectors 2 and 3, shown asformed integral with the crank case, and which extend from the end wallsof the case inward and slightl downward until their inner ends approacheach other quite closely at about the longitudinal center of the crankcase. v

The lower endof the crank caseis provided with a flat peripheralgbead 5to which is applied the horizontal flange 6 of the oil pan 7, the panbeing preferably made of a single piece of sheet metal, formed toproduce a shallow rectangular basin having its edge flared outwardly toproducethe flange 6 and then downwardly to strengthen the flange. Theflange 6 is rovided with holes that register with threaded apertures inthe bead 5 for the reception ofretaining screws 8. A. gasket 10 ofsuitable packing material is interposed between the flange and bead. 4

Shown as situated near the-rear end of the oil pan i an oil trap whichconstitutes the separating means hereinbefore referred to. This trap, inits present form, consists of a cylindrical screen inclos'ure 12, hayinga flange 13 applied to its lower end by means of which it is securedtothe; bottom of the oil pan -7 The deflector 3 has an opening 14 aboveand substantially concentric with the screen inclosure 12 within whichis fitted an inverted sheet metal cup 15, the cylindrical wall 16whereof descends about the inclosure 12 until its lower end is spacedonly a shortdistance above'the bottom of the oil pan. Where thecylindrical wall of the cup joins the circular wall 17 thereof, it isflared outward and crimped against the circular wall to produce a flangeadapted to be clamped or confined between .the upper surface of thedeflector 3 and a ring 18 that is secured to the thickened annularportion material of the wall being turned upward about the tube forattachment thereto. The lower end of the tube is cut diagonally and thelowest point thereof is spaced only a short distance from the bottom ofthe oil pan. The tube 21 leads to an oil pump (not shown) such as arecommon to engines of the class herein referred ,to, and whlch acts toSuckthe oil from within the screeniuclosure 12. After the oil has beencirculated through the lubricating system of the engine, it is thrownoff and drains down into the crank case and is conveyed by thedeflectors 2 and 3 to the oil pan 7 in which it is collected and fromwhich it is drawn into the screen inclosure 12. \Vhen the screen is freefrom sediment, the oil flows inward through the lower portion thereof;but as the sediment collects about the screen and clogs it from itslower end gradually upward, the oil is compelled to flow upward betweenthe wall 16 and screen by reason of the facts that the cup 15 is airtight and the Wall 16 thereof extends below the minimum oil level, sothat the exposure of oil within the lower-end of the cup is subjected tothe suction and is drawn upward thereby until it,finds access to theinterior of the screen either through it, or over the upper edge thereofif the screen has been allowed to become clogged throughout the entireextent of its area.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. In a separator,the combination of an inclosure 12, a suction duct 21 having itsreceiving end within said inclosure, and a substantially fluid tightcasing 16 spaced from and inclosing one end and a portion of the sidesof said inclosure.

2. In a lubricating system of the character.

set forth, the combination of two substantially horizontal walls spacedone above the 0th r, an inclosure supported by the lower wal a suctionduct-having its receiving end disposed within said inclosure, and acasing carried by the upper wall and extending downward over theinclosure.

3. In a lubricating system of the character set forth, the combinationof two substantially horizontal walls spaced one above the other,-ascreen inclosure supported by the lower wall, a suction duct having itsreceiving end disposed within the, inclosure, the upper wall having anaperture above the inclosure, and an open bottom casing supported withinsaid aperture and extending down over the inclosure.

4:. In a lubricating system of the character set forth, the combinationof two substantially horizontal walls spaced one above the other, of aninclosure supported by the lower wall, a suction duct having itsreceiving end disposed withinthe inclosure, the upper wall having anaperture above the inclosure, and an open bottom casing supported withinsaid aperture and extending down over the inclosure, said casing beingprovided with a peripheral flange resting Wall.

5. In a lubricating system of the character set forth, the combinationof two substantiallyhorizontal walls spaced one above the other, ofaninclosure supported by the lower upon the upper inclosure 12, a casing16 spaced from and extending over the top of said inclosure and downabout the inclosure into proximity to the bottom thereof, and a suctiontube 21 projecting into the casing through the top wall thereof andhaving its receiving end disposed within the inclosure.

7 A separator comprising an open top inclosure 12, a suction duct 21having its receivingend disposed therein, and a casing extending overthe top and down around the said inclosure and spaced therefrom.

8. In combination with the crank case of an engine, said crank casehaving a supporting element situated in thebottomthereof,

the crank case, an inclosure within and carried by the oil pan, a casingmember carried by the aforesaid supporting element and sustained therebyover and about the inclosure, the wall of the casing being spaced fromthat of the inclosure, and a suction duct having its receiving enddisposed within the inclosure.

9. In combination with an engine, an oil pan removably attached to thebottom of the engine crank case, and a separatorcomprising two openended casing elements one carried by the crank case and the other by theoil pan and which are'disposed in telescopic relation to each other whenthe oil pan is attached to the crank case.

10. The combination with an engine, of an oil pan applied to the crankcase thereof, an inclosure within and carried b the oil pan, an openended casing supporte by the crank case over and about the inclosure,and a suction tube carried by the engine'and extending downward throughthe top wall of the casing with its suction end disposed within theinclosure.

11. In a separator, the combination of a casing, a vertically disposedscreen within the casing, a suction duct having its receiving enddisposed within the casing on one side of the screen, the casingincorporating" an impervious wall spaced from the opposite side of thescreen, the casing defining a fluidtight inclosure for said screenexcept for an interruption .of the aforesaid wall below the top of thescreen.

In testimonywhereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

GEORGE W. DUNHAM.

